Published: August 29, 2008 09:04 am      

Give blood, fill up tank

Red Cross again offering gas cards to donors

CUMBERLAND — Area residents who come out to donate blood this Labor Day weekend from Saturday through Monday will get some help from the American Red Cross in filling their gas tanks as the organization’s 100-county Greater Alleghenies Blood Services Region is repeating its popular summer holiday gas card promotion.

Donors at all the blood region’s blood drives and platelet donor centers will receive a $5 gas card while supplies last.

As of Thursday morning, the Greater Alleghenies Region had just a day’s supply of type O positive, O negative, A negative and B positive blood in reserve.

Weekend blood drives include:

• Saturday: Bedford, Pa., 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Procare Sport Plex, 125 Willow Grove Drive; Chambersburg, Pa., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pond Bank Mennonite Church, 6555 Duffield Road.

• Sunday: Platelet donations only in Altoona and Johnstown, Pa. Call (800) 542-5663, Ext. 2637 or 2657 for appointments.

• Monday: Cumberland, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Western Potomac Chapter, American Red Cross, 400 Cumberland St.; LaVale, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Fire Hall No. 1, 421 National Highway.

To donate blood, individuals must be at least 17 years old or 16 in Maryland and Pennsylvania with parental consent, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in generally good health

For more information, log on to www.redcrosslife.org or call (800) 448-3543.